bucknam



1,642,641 SfPt 13' 1927' E. J. BUCKNAM MEANS. FOR yPRO'IE'G'IING BANKSAND THE LIKE Filed NOV. 2l, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2z 2l ,A k I 25 5 5` lf l; I Y I l 21 J n/ 2? l JJ l Z! l! I I FimH/MM EL ffftw# mi? Se t. 1319 7. 1,642 641 p 2 E. J. BUCKNAM MEANS FOR PROTECTING BANKS AND THELIKE Filed Nov. 21, 192s 2 sheets-sheet 2 TM/Nrn 25 16 n [ZR/1.Jian/59M.

@E E, j/ E m Patented Sept. 13, 1927.

UNITED STATES EZRA JUDSON BUCKNAM, F TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

MEANS FOR PROTECTTNG BANKS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed November 21, 1923. Serial No. 676,196.

This invention relates to improvements in means for protecting banks andthe like and more particularly to automatically operable means forpreventing bank robberies by bandits and otherwise, and the objects ofthe invention are to provide systematic and automatic means adapted tobe controlled by the officers of the bank whereby individuals doingbusiness with the bank are l0 unconsciously held until the business issatisfactorily completed and then permitted a free exit.

Further objects are the provision 'of automatically operated turnstilemeans in coml5 bination with means operated by the cashier or otherofiicials of the bank, whereby an individual having business totransactwith tbe cashier 'is automatically held in a coinpartrnent ofthe tilrnstile before the cashiers cage until his business is completedand then only released by the act-ion ot the cashier in operating theturnstile.

Still further objects are to provide, in ad dition `to automaticallyoperable and lockable turnstile means designed to be secretly controlledby an ofiicial of the bank, means also controlled by the cashier orotherwise for closing the cashiers wicket opening by itself or all thewickets in the oflice and the front door simultaneously.

Still further objects vare the provision of economically constructed andefficient means of this character whereby the business of a bank can becarried on without any extraordinary inconvenience or interference withthe conditions at present existing but by means of which it will beimpossible for anyone attempting to rob the bank to get away.

With my improved means the movements of anyone doing business with thebank are practically controlled while in the bank by the oflicials ofthe bank on the other side of the counter and without the knowledge ofthe customers concerned.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention consistsessentially in the novel construction and arrangement of partsdescribedin the present specification and illustrated by the accompanyingdrawings that form part of the same.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like characters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in each figure,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved turnstile withsupplementary side wall and partitions separating it from the cashierscage.

Figure 2 .is a vertical section.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4l is an enlarged view of the bot tom of the turnstile, showingthe locking means therefor.

Figure 5 is a 'section on the line 5-5 of Figure l.

Figure 6 is a vertical section on the line G-G of Figure 5.

Figure Tis a detail view of the auto.-y inatically operable tripmechanism.

Figurev 8 is a longitudinal section of the automatirally operable tripmechanism.

ln the (lrawings, in which an embodiment of my device is illustrated, Adesignates the turnstile of special construction and B the bank counterprovided with the usual wicket opening therein, C.

Referring now more particularly to the turnstile A, this is formed inthree compartments 10, 11 and 12 and is preferably, as a whole, of theusual standard circular' construction provided with a suitable top 13and a suitablebottoin l/i, the whole being mounted on a centre androtatable post member 15 suitably journalled at the bottom at 16 andpivotally braced at the top at 17 by means of a bracket 18 fiXedlymounted on the counter partition.

The bottom 14 of t-he turnstile is `provided with a base plate 19 and.mounted thereon on ball bearings 20.

The compartments 10, 11 and 12 are provided with curved partition walls21, 22 and 23, the whole turnstile being constructed of any suitablematerial, preferably of steel, and designed to readily rotate.

In order to ensure that the turnstile will only rotate in one way, Iprovide, on the bottom, an angle iron 24 of circular configurationextending all `the way around. This angle iron is provided with aplurality of notches 25 inthe lower edge adapted to engage with apivotally mounted dog 26, thus efficiently preventing the turnstilebeing rotated otherwise than in one direction.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the novel features of myturnstile, so far, are the provision of t-he three compartmentsseparated by curved partition walls, the objects ot this constructionbeing, as shown in Figure 3, that the partitions will `register' in asubstantially straight, line with the side ot the cashier-s cage, thusproviding a space in the turnstile to register with the space of thecage opening.

,[n addition to these curved partition walls, itl will be noted that lalso provide partially extending side walls 27, 28 and 29 -lor thecompartments l0. 11 and l2. This is turthcr to ensure that the openingin each compartmentwill be et sur'licient dimensions to register withthe opening in the cashiers cage.

By means of these walls, it will be noted that, as the occupant isallowed to proceed out, the wicket door of the cage will be closed untilthe next compartment, with another customer in it, moved around ppositethe space in the side wall therein, thus again opening' communicationbetween the turnstile and the cashier.

lle'terring now to the means for automatically locking and releasing theturnstile, this comprises a bolt-shuttle member 30 in a suitable easing3l, spring actuated by means ot a spring 32 between the end ot the bolt30 and the end o't the casing and designed to hold the bolt inprojecting position automatically. The inner end ot the bolt is llexiblyconnected by means ot a cable or the like 33 to a pivotally mountedlever 3d connected by a link or arm 35 to a push pin 36 having a coiledspring 37 wound thereon, so that, when the tlat top 38 ot the push pinis pressed upon, the bolt 30 will be momentarily drawn inwardly. l

This bolt member is adapted to engage with each ot a plurality ot springactuated stop members 39 carried by theturnstile i'or each of theseveral compartments, so that, as shown in Figure 5, when the turnst'ilereaches the bolt member 8O and the stop 39 engages therewith, theturnst-ile is locked, as. on account ot' the serrated bottom edgeengaging with the doe' 26, it can not move backwards.

rlhis arrangement is so developed that the locking operation takes placewhen the opening' in each compartment registers with the opening in thecashiers wicket and the occupant of the turnstile compartment is thusenabled to transact his business with the cashier or other otlicer otthe bank with privacy and despatch. Wlhen the business is tinished, thecashier pushes the push pin 36 with his loot, causing the bar 30 to recede and allowing the t-urnstile to revolve.

The objects of having the stop members 39 spring actuated is to absorbthe shock when these members in turn contact or engage with the lockingbar 30. V l

`When the push pin 35 is pressed and so that it will not be necessarvtor the operator to keep his toot on it to retain the bar 30 inwithdrawn position, l provide means tor automatically holding the barBtl, comprising` a substantially \!-shaped dog et) pivot'- ally mountedon the liront end oi' the casing 81, the casing itself being); providedwith stop lugs 4l and 2 to limit the travel ot the dog. This dog isadapted, as shown in Figure 7, to contact with the bar 30, which holdsit in the position as shown in Figure 7. lllhen the bar is movedinwardly, the dog` t() w`ll swing, ot its own weight. downwardly untilstopped by the lug 4t2, thus,I closing the opening in the casing 'forthe bar S0 and retaining the bar within the casing. rlhen as theturnstile rotates, a block lf3 on the outside lower edge thereof, otwhich there is one Ytor cach compartment and arranged in combinationwith the spring actuated stop means 39, moves over the dog 4:0, tiltingone arm of it upwardly, as shown in Figure 7, and thereby causing theother arm to move away trom the opening o't the bar 30, allowing it toagain projectv1 as shown in Figure 5, to engage with the stop member 39.

By means ot this construction the bank otlicial has only to momentarilypress the push pin 3G to withdraw the locking` bar 30 and thus releasethe turnstile tor rotation, the latter being again automatically lockedby the mechanism described.

With my improved turnstile it will be noted that no individual can seeor know what transactions are taking place between the individuals inthe compartments and the bank ol'hcials and that. as previously stated,the turnstile is all the time under complete and concealed control bythe bank ottieial. lt will be obvious that when a patron has finished adeal with the cashier, the latter will press the lever 3G thuswithdrawing the bolt 30 from its engagement with the lug 39, andallowing the turnstile to be rotated by sliding pressure being` appliedby the patron. The next person required to deal with the teller willenter one ot the vacant compartn'ients and applying hand pressure on oneof the radiating walls 21, 22 or 23, will rotate the turnstile untillhis compartment registers with the cashiers wicket, The cashier thenreleases the lever 36 and allows the bolt 30 to lock the turnstile inits present-position.

lt is obvious that as soon as the bolt 30 has been withdrawn, and theturnstile rotated past the projection 4:3, the cashier can release thepedal 38 with the lever 36 since the bolt wil be automatically held inretracted position by the L-shaped lever ll0 as previously described.

From the foregoing the operation of my improved system of bankprotection against bandits will be readily understood. The customerwishing to transact business enters the bank and has business, forinstance, with the cashier. He at once enters the only compartment inthe turnstile which is open to him. 0f the other compartments, one beingopen to the cashier and the entrance to the other closed by thesupplementary wall. The cashier then presses the push button at his footand the turnstile is rotated by the customer, bringing the compartmentwith the customer opposite the casliiers cage. Where it is automaticallyheld in locked position. The customer then transacts his business and onit being satisfactorily completed, the cashier again presses the pushpin at his foot and allows the turnstile to move forward until the nextcompartment is opposite the cage, when it is again locked, and so on.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and manyapparently Widely different embodiments of my invention, Within thescope of the claim, constructed Without departing from the spirit orscope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in theaccompanying speci- #1 In a device of the character described and incombination. with a turnstile having engaging means thereon, aspringmctnated locking bolt adapted in normal position to selectivelyengage with said engaging means and means for operating the bolt from adistance to unlock it, a pivotally mounted gravity operable dog,provided with unequally Weighted arms, associated with said bolt andadapted normally to retain the bolt in Withdrawn or unlocked position,and means associated with the turnstile adapted on the rotation of thelatter to selectively contact with said dog to operate it from normalposition to automatically release the spring actuated bolt atpredetermined points iii the travel of the turnstile.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EZRA JUDSON BUCKNAM.

